Personal goal setting and task performance as a function of Type A/B behavior pattern and task difficulty.
Item
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Title
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Personal goal setting and task performance as a function of Type A/B behavior pattern and task difficulty.
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Identifier
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AAI9431369
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identifier
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9431369
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Creator
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Hui, Len Dang (Karina).
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Contributor
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Adviser: John L. Andreassi
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Date
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1994
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Industrial | Psychology, Personality
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Abstract
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Locke, Shaw, Saari, & Latham (1981) concluded in a review of the literature that individual differences neither predict goal setting behavior nor do they predict the effects of goal setting on performance. In their recent book, Locke & Latham (1990) maintain that the role of individual differences as a moderator of the goal setting-performance relationship remains unclear. The present study investigates whether the Type A/B behavior pattern (TABP) may be an exception to these conclusions. In addition, little empirical work on TABP and/or goal setting has been devoted to studying the effects of task complexity. The few studies that were conducted suggested that task complexity is an important moderator of the goal setting-performance relationship (Wood, Mento, & Locke, 1987; Garland, 1984; Campbell & Ilgen, 1976). This study also explores the interaction effects of TABP and task difficulty on goal setting and performance. A sample of 242 male and female college students from three multi-racial urban universities were recruited for this experiment. Subjects were classified as Type A's or Type B's based on the Jenkins Activity Survey. A 2 (Type A/B) x 3 (easy, moderate, difficult tasks) multivariate repeated measures analysis of covariance design was used as the main design of this study. Contrary to what Locke et al. (1981) and Locke and Latham (1990) had concluded about individual differences not determining goal setting/performance, the TABP as an individual difference does affect goals as well as performance on tasks of different difficulty levels. The results of this study provide additional support for past Type A research through the study of goal setting and task complexity. Limitations of the present study were discussed. Finally, implications for organizations and suggestions for future research were offered.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
